


loving is easy

by rxgulus



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Bisexual James Potter, Boys In Love, Established Relationship, Falling In Love, First War with Voldemort, Fluff, Gay Regulus Black, Hurt/Comfort, Indian James Potter, James Potter Lives, James Potter is Whipped, James and Regulus are Harry Potter's parents, M/M, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Married Couple, Minor Sirius Black/Remus Lupin, Pretty Regulus Black, Regulus Black Lives, Short Regulus Black, seriously he's just so in love with regulus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-10
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-12 02:20:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28627923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rxgulus/pseuds/rxgulus
Summary: James wasn't quite sure when it started. It began as a flutter in his chest after a glimpse of silver eyes and a thrumming in his veins during Quidditch matches and suddenly - he was in love. Loving Regulus wasn't always easy and it wasn't the safest option out there but James didn't care. He loved Regulus and it was as simple as that.And he wouldn't have it any other way.[Alternatively, James loves Regulus a ridiculous amount with background Wolfstar]
Relationships: Regulus Black/James Potter, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Comments: 21
Kudos: 443





	loving is easy

**Author's Note:**

> The description is bad and I might change it at some point but, basically, follow James and Regulus on their journey from Hogwarts through to the war.
> 
> Triggers may include: Very light mentions of child abuse as well as anything to be expected during a war. But it's all very, very minor and mostly just talked about. There is also implied sex!
> 
> This story has a focus on James and his love for Regulus and how it slowly develops as they grow into young adults.

James wasn't quite sure when it started.

Maybe it was when James had snuck down to the kitchens for a cup of hot chocolate after a rough Quidditch practice and saw Regulus kneeling in front of a twitchy looking elf, speaking to her as if she were an equal instead of a mindless creature. Perhaps it started when he first saw the young Slytherin zipping about on his broom with a reckless abandon for his own safety, fuelled by his own passion for the sport. Or maybe, it began when he bumped into the slighter boy in the library and he looked up at him with startled silver eyes before hurrying away with pinkened cheeks. 

It may have even started before all of that. Or maybe it was of all of those factors combined that caused the wistful longing to bloom within him and had him desperate for just a glimpse of the younger boy. Either way, it had started somewhere and James wasn't sure how to feel about that.

Maybe it was because falling for Regulus had been inevitable. One look into those gentle silver eyes, narrowed slightly with suspicion and he had been hooked. It hadn't been a fierce rush of adrenaline or a fiery passion that had consumed him because it didn't _need_ to be. Falling for Regulus had felt oddly safe. By nature, it should have been anything but. The feelings James had for Regulus should have scared him, should have terrified him with the reality that their love simply could _never_ be. Instead, it had been a warm hug after a long day, snowflakes settling on long eyelashes and flushed cheeks that spoke of hidden delight and undeniable love.

Because, it _was_ love.

James hadn't meant for it to happen. Truly, he hadn't. He had always hoped to find love in Hogwarts just like his parents had or at least, find something _close,_ but he had never expected to find true love within the shy but wickedly smart Regulus Black. James hadn't expected to find himself tracing Regulus' initials or mumbling his name in his sleep and yet, he had. He hadn't meant for any of it to happen and yet he was nothing but grateful with the outcome.

Loving Regulus wasn't always easy. There were times when he'd shut down and withdraw from everyone around him, ignoring Barty's concerns, going out of his way to avoid James and straight up pretending he didn't exist. Sometimes, Regulus would get upset and throw himself into his studies. James had learned that these outbursts generally coincided with a nasty letter from his parents, parchment filled with expectations and tales of Regulus' duties to his family and what would happen should he dare to disappoint them. 

Often, James would have to drag Regulus out of the library or break into the Slytherin dorms or even accost him during Regulus' prefect rounds to pull him into an alcove to talk. James would usually begin with a squared jaw and straightened posture but, inevitably, like with everything to do with Regulus Black, he would crumble and end up gently cupping Regulus' damp cheeks and thumbing at his tears. 

But the few and - _thankfully_ \- far between bad moments were more than worth it. Every late-night walk around the castle proved that. As did the dates in the astronomy tower with nothing but each other laid under the twinkling stars while Regulus tried his hardest to teach James how to identify them even though James could hardly take his eyes off of Regulus for long enough to actually learn anything. The sleepy, stress filled kisses during exam periods where they'd barely have enough time to think but would seek each other out for a brief moment of comfort, always filled James with a warmth that would blanket him from head to toe. Hot chocolate under their favourite willow tree by the edge of the lake, tea flavoured kisses and late nights soaring through the air on their brooms made every tear worth it.

James liked to say that their love had been written in the stars, Regulus liked to call him a sappy prat but James always loudly argued that it was _true._ That Regulus and James were fated to meet and to fall in love, that theirs was a tale told in front of a fire or to a whole crowd of people. The small, shy scion of House Black, sorted into Slytherin and expected by all to go dark and the boisterous but recklessly noble Heir to the Potters should _never_ have fallen in love. They simply wouldn't work, why would they even bother to speak to each other? Surely, theirs was a love that would end in heartbreak for one or even both of them. It couldn't work, it _shouldn't_ work. Yet, it _did._

It did, beautifully so.

To many, James and Regulus were nought more than begrudging acquaintances. What else _could_ they be? James was a year ahead of Regulus, in different Houses with a lengthy rivalry and were thought to be on opposing sides of the upcoming war. Anybody who believed those statements to be true, well, they didn't know Regulus the way James knew him.

They didn't see the fire in his eyes when he went flying or caught the snitch with a wicked gleam of satisfaction shining in his eyes. They didn't get to hear his adorable rambling about Rune sequences or his whiny complaints about Slughorn. They didn't see the way his nose wrinkled when his tea didn't have the heaps of sugar he insisted upon and how he'd playfully argue with James when he called him out on his unhealthy habits. They didn't see the righteous fury when he found one Hufflepuff senior bullying a first year Ravenclaw for having a suspected criminal for a father. They didn't see how carefully Regulus handled the young girl and how Regulus had escorted her back to her common room with a lengthy speech. They didn't hear the passion and conviction in his tone as Regulus repeated that everyone's sins were their own and that she was not her father, not unless she wanted to be. They didn't see the pain in Regulus' eyes after she had gone to her common room or hear the tremble in his voice as he spoke of his own insecurities and how sometimes he wondered why he was fighting against becoming like his parents if all people would see was a snake that couldn't be trusted.

_(Really, how could James have ever resisted falling for such a beautiful human being?)_

James had held Regulus tightly that night in the Room of Requirement, fielding any questions from the Marauders the next day as they wondered where he'd been and watching with a faint smile as Regulus did the same with Crouch. Maybe it was then that James had realised he was truly in love with Regulus. Imagining what Regulus would look like wearing the Consort Potter ring and how his eyes would light up at their wedding and how their respective magic would come together and blend in a beautiful union of two young men that were completely in love. Without meaning to, James found himself picturing their children, small little blessings that would hopefully have Regulus' silver eyes and James' dark complexion. Maybe they'd have James' curly hair or the soft waves Regulus always styled to perfection. He wasn't sure if they'd be named using Potter traditions or if they'd have a celestial designation but James didn't care. It was a good thing Sirius had begun waving his hand in James' face to get his attention or else he'd probably have begun planning their nurseries in his head.

"Mate, where is your head at?" Sirius huffed, "I've been trying to get your attention for the past ten minutes."

"He's too busy drooling over Evans." Peter snickered.

James scoffed and rolled his eyes, "Am not." It wasn't a lie; he'd been drooling over Regulus if anything. Regulus with his thick, sable locks that framed sharp cheekbones and soft jawline. James' heart sped up as he subtly gazed across the hall at his beloved, a faint smile pulling at his lips as he watched Regulus scowl at Lestrange and begin what was clearly to be a lengthy tirade about something. James had no idea what but the scalding fury on Regulus' face was bewitching and he sighed wistfully to himself as he brought his elbow up to the table and let his head fall onto his palm.

"Bloody hell." Remus breathed, _"Look_ at you." He said almost disgustedly. 

Sirius frowned as he inspected his best friend before looking over at Lily who was talking to her friends a few seats down from them. Turning to his boyfriend, Sirius repeated the motion pointedly several times before Remus frowned in confusion.

"Uh, Prongs?" Sirius poked his arm to elicit some form of reaction, "You do realise that Evans is a Gryffindor, yeah?"

James blinked slowly and hummed in response, "That's nice, Padfoot." He said all without averting his eyes off of Regulus who was gesturing grandly as he sneered at Lestrange. From what James could lipread, it appeared he was insulting Lestrange's inability to perform in classes, pointing out that not only was he useless with his wand in lessons but that he was likely no better with his _other_ wand. James sighed dreamily again, _Merlin,_ James loved him.

James couldn't really understand why they'd believe he was thinking of Evans. Although, he'd had a bit of a puppy crush on her back in third year but he'd never acted on it. The feelings had been largely superficial and even at his young age he'd known there was something off between them. They wouldn't have worked and James was unbelievably thankful that his younger self had recognised this. Perhaps they could have made it work in another life, but pretty soon after realising that his attraction for Evans had mainly been because she was pretty and unobtainable, he had started noticing Regulus. From there, well, he was a goner.

"James." Sirius hissed, knocking his arm so the boy's head fell forward.

James was startled out of his lovesick stupor and glared at Sirius. _"What?"_ He snapped in irritation; he'd been enjoying the rather fetching show of Regulus viciously tearing into Lestrange. James had always admired how Regulus could go toe-to-toe with someone a head taller than him and reduce them to tears. Besides, watching Regulus get fired up never failed to make James weak at the knees. 

"Are you staring at Snape?" Sirius asked incredulously. "Cause, I mean, love who you want mate, but there's got to be someone more suitable and less greasy-"

Pulling back in shock, James mouthed disbelievingly before shaking his head frantically. "What? No!"

"What Slytherin's caught your eye then?" Sirius demanded. 

Remus snorted at James' baffled expression. "You were practically drooling, mate. But I suppose you were too busy eyeing up the much prettier Black." Remus teased with a wolfish grin.

James winced as Sirius whirled around to search for his brother before meeting James' eye accusingly. "Now, Padfoot-"

"My _brother?"_ Sirius hissed, "My little brother?"

"Sirius-" James began uncertainly.

"He- You-" Sirius spluttered, "My _brother?"_

Already tired of this, James reached over to pull Sirius to his feet and pushed him in the direction of the door. Sending an apologetic glance to McGonagall who had been staring at him from the moment he stood with a look of resignation on her aging face, he climbed over the table to drag Sirius towards the double doors. The rest of the Marauders hurried to stand, Peter taking the less risky approach of walking to the end of the table instead of climbing over it like James did - likely to stop their professor from having a conniption.

James continued to drag a seething Sirius towards the nearest bathroom, shoving him inside and waiting patiently for the others to catch up. "I cannot believe you would do this to me. Have I not been a good best friend to you, Potter? And how do you repay me? You shack up with my little brother!" He finished just as the rest of the Marauders entered the bathroom.

"I was trying to eat. Couldn't you lot save this drama for later?" Peter whined.

"Shut up and enjoy the show, Wormtail." Remus nudged him. "I've been waiting for this."

Sirius gasped dramatically, "You knew?"

"Yeah." Remus shrugged. "Wasn't completely sure but I had a suspicion. You should see them at the Slug Club meetings. James was sweating so much at the last one, Slughorn thought he was having a heart attack."

"Maybe if Slughorn didn't keep oozing over everything I'd come to them." Sirius wrinkled his nose in disgust. Oh, yes, James had forgotten how much Sirius disliked Slughorn and his shameless arse-kissing.

James furrowed his brows for a moment before his expression cleared and he melted slightly, "Ah. That was the one where Regulus wore those perfectly tailored robes that showed off his-"

"Ah!" Sirius cried, pressing his hands over his ears. "No! Stop!"

With an exhausted roll of his eyes, James folded his arms and leaned against the wall. "Can we just get this over and done with? I've got a proposal to plan."

"Proposal?" Sirius gasped just as the bathroom door banged open again.

"A proposal, darling? You'd better get your letter of intent sent off as soon as possible. I doubt Mother would sign it but Father could be agreeable." Regulus said smoothly as he sidled up to James, looking up at him with a glint of mischief in his eye. "Of course, you'd have to make it worth their while."

Sirius' heavy wheezing was the only thing that stopped James from swooping up his boyfriend and kissing his pale cheeks until he was bright red. 

"I'm going to cry." Sirius wailed, "No, I'm going to punch something. James, come here, be a good lad and step up to-"

"All those crispy strips of bacon, the perfectly fried eggs, every juicy sausage-" Peter lamented his lost breakfast.

"I'm sure I've got a sausage for-"

 _"No!"_ Sirius cut James' teasing off loudly, "Don't you dare! Regulus is a baby; you can't do that!"

"Of course." Regulus nodded easily, "Save it for the bedroom, darling."

Remus snickered loudly, "They're both virgins." He giggled to himself.

Regulus sniffed offendedly, "So are you, wolf."

James huffed, "Don't say that. They'll think you hate him. _Manners."_

"Oh, yes." Regulus nodded sagely before turning to the shell-shocked Marauders. "I know about your _ridiculous_ monthly affairs and your respective alter-egos. Sorry about that by the way, Pettigrew. Fate's a nasty witch." He said to Peter who blinked.

"I- I like my form." Peter frowned to himself.

Regulus nodded condescendingly, "Of course."

James snickered and shook his head. "I've missed you. Did you have fun with Lestrange?"

"Ugh." Regulus curled his lip, appearing as if he'd just swallowed something disgusting. "I hate that useless half-wit more than I ought to." 

Sirius blinked, "But you were just chatting to him." He pointed out dumbly.

"I was insulting him and his entire bloodline."

"So just your regular Tuesday at the Slytherin table?"

"Quite." Regulus agreed. 

"To be fair," James began, "My darling only ever hurts someone's feelings if the other person deserves it." He said loyally.

Remus snorted, "Just like his brother then, eh?"

"Shut up." The two brothers snapped in unison at their respective boyfriends before blinking at each other.

Peter sighed, "There's _two_ of them now."

Sirius reached over to smack the back of Peter's head as Regulus brushed his hand against James' insistently. Getting the hint, James reached out to lace their fingers together, stroking his thumb over Regulus' hand reassuringly. He knew that no matter how brave Regulus appeared and how well he could look unaffected, Regulus loved his brother and wanted him to approve of their relationship. 

"Sirius." James called to get his attention, "So?" He questioned, both of them well aware what James was really asking. Are you okay with this? Are you going to ask something impossible of us? Will you shut both of us out of your life? Do we mean more to you than your own feelings? Do you love us both enough to see that we love each other just as much?

Sirius exhaled noisily, shoulders slumping as he nodded, hair bouncing as he did so. "Yes, yes, fine. _Fuck._ You two had better be serious about this cause if you two break up it's going to be a right mess."

"We love each other, Sirius." Regulus said solemnly. "I- I love him more than _anything._ James means the world to me. If it weren't for him, I'd be- I don't even know where I'd be." He whispered, silver eyes shining. 

James' heart pounded as he gazed down at his boyfriend lovingly. "And you say _I'm_ the sappy one." He murmured, leaning down to press a kiss to his forehead. 

Regulus preened and smiled up at him, "Hush. You _are_ the sappy one."

"Oh! Reggie, does this mean you'll be following in your big brother's footsteps and disappointing Mummy dearest?"

Regulus rolled his eyes, "Yes. James and I already planned for me to join you all for Yule." He pursed his lips, "I don't think I'll be disowned because James is still a pureblood but they'll be furious, especially when they realise I don't plan to join the Dark Lord's service. Maybe _then_ I'd be disowned."

"You don't want to join him?" Sirius asked hopefully. James felt a pleasant warmth fall over him and he realised it was Regulus' magic, the familiar heat blanketing his shoulders and curling around his waist as he sought out his older brother. He'd known that the two missed each other, only occasionally meeting to exchange clipped pleasantries to check up on each other.

Looking suitably hurt that Sirius would expect such a thing of him, Regulus squared his jaw as he fiercely replied, "I won't." James' heart raced with pride and he squeezed Regulus' hand tightly, "I _won't."_ Regulus repeated just as Sirius pulled him into a desperate hug.

"I've missed you." Sirius murmured.

"Me too." Regulus replied somewhat stiffly but James knew him well enough to recognise the slight hitch in his breathing as Regulus trying not to cry. 

James smiled as the two brothers began to talk quietly, content to let them hash things out the way all brothers would after years of being forced apart. Over Sirius' shoulder, James watched Remus do the same with a satisfied smile and he sent a wink to his friend. They both knew their partners too well to not expect some shouting and as Regulus huffed after Sirius scoffed, he let the sounds of their small argument wash over him.

Even after all that time, James continued to wonder when exactly he had begun to fall for Regulus. 

It was a small thing that sometimes nagged at him. When Regulus would cradle their son, Harry or spend hours talking to James' parents as if they were his own, he'd often find himself observing his husband with nothing short of adoration. It was one of James' favourite things to do, in fact. Especially if little Harry was involved. Every time he got to witness his wonderful husband carefully spoon feeding his perfect little boy or tickling his tummy to make the baby giggle happily, he thought back to those chance meetings that had built the foundations of their relationship.

Often, James liked to point out that Regulus' name had been perfect foreshadowing on his parent's part and only his chaser reflexes had allowed him to catch the mug Regulus had thrown in retaliation. Oh well, it didn't stop James from fondly nicknaming Regulus his little lionheart and he knew his husband secretly liked the pet names James gave him. In some ways, he knew Regulus better than he knew himself.

When they'd finally bonded after Regulus graduated Hogwarts, James had been thrilled. Marrying Regulus had been a top priority since sixth year and he'd always known that it would happen eventually and it was easily the second-best day of his life. Sliding the Consort Potter ring onto his beloved's finger and kissing him in front of all of their family and friends as Regulus flushed continued to power his Patronus to this day.

In fact, the only other memory he tended to use was from the single best day of his life - the day his precious son was born. Harry James Potter came into the world kicking and screaming with a thick layer of messy black hair that Regulus had complained about from the moment he had held their son for the first time. James had been happy to give his husband the chance to hold him first and the moment Regulus had carefully handed Harry over to him, James had burst into tears. If he hadn't been similarly emotional, he knew Regulus would have teased him for it.

Apparent from birth was that Harry had inherited James' skin tone, hair and most of his features. It was only his silver eyes and their narrower shape that were reminiscent of the Blacks, everything else simply screamed Potter. Quite literally as Regulus liked to lament that Harry had _far_ too much of James' ridiculous personality what with his boisterous and seemingly never-ending laughter and love of mischief. Harry's magic liked to cause chaos just as much as his father and James was usually left to clean up the mess as Regulus tried to teach their son that _colourful bubbles are a very impressive show of magic but they stained every surface they touched and thus were not allowed in his perfectly designed living room_. Not that little Harry really understood but James commended Regulus' unending patience with their son. Truly, his husband was a _wonderful_ parent.

There had been the expected backlash from their relationship going public. Some of the Slytherins felt betrayed and surprisingly, so did some of the Gryffindors. Apparently, James Potter cavorting with a slimy snake was not allowed and he'd quite happily punched McLaggen in the face for suggesting that Regulus must be a fantastic lay for James to disregard Regulus' untrustworthy, Slytherin ways. The detention afterwards had been _so_ worth it.

Also to be expected, was the rage of the Black family at _both_ of their sons leaving to be with the Potters. It had only worsened after Walburga sent a vicious Howler to the Potter residence at Yule, _demanding_ that Regulus return home and fulfil his duties like a true scion of House Black. When Regulus had sent back a simple reply of _'No, thank you';_ she had been furious. 

Fortunately, Sirius, as his closest blood relative, was able to take temporary custody of Regulus until he turned seventeen. Their father, Orion, had clearly seen the sense in trying to appease at least _one_ of his sons lest his House fall into disrepair and, after some negotiating with James' father, he had agreed on their impending betrothal. Orion had even sent a wedding present and had allowed Kreacher to stay in the service of Regulus - something that Regulus had _insisted_ was non-negotiable to Sirius' utter dismay.

Although James knew of Sirius' sour feelings towards the elf, he knew for certain that Kreacher worshipped Regulus and the day he had met little Harry upon their return from St Mungo's, the elf had burst into noisy tears at the sight of his favourite master's child. Kreacher had taken his duties very seriously and had baby-proofed the whole home from top to bottom and was always more than eager to tend to the little toddler to give the new parents a break. Similarly, Harry seemed very fond of Kreacher, so James had allowed him to stay as their main house-elf.

Sirius and Remus were also very eager to care for their godson; a title that had basically been stolen from Sirius as _technically_ he couldn't be Harry's godfather in magic if he was _also_ the baby's biological uncle, so Remus took up that mantle himself. Surprisingly, Sirius was very good with children and Harry certainly seemed to adore his uncle Padfoot. Sirius and Remus had joined the 'emotional mess' club when they'd first met the little boy with Sirius wailing over his pudgy little cheeks and Remus sniffling at the sight of his cute little fingers.

Peter had been very twitchy around Harry from the moment he was born and for a long time, James had put it down to his innate fear of everything and anything. It wasn't until Dumbledore had pulled Regulus and James aside after an Order meeting to sorrowfully inform them of a prophecy that put their _precious_ little boy at risk that he knew why.

After informing their friends that they wouldn't be able to go for a meal at the Broomsticks and just wanted a night in, the two young parents had gone to bed early with little Harry cradled in between them, both desperate to protect him from the cruel outside world.

"I love him so much, Jamie." Regulus whispered against his skin, lips brushing the ridges of James' collarbone. "I can't- I _can't_ lose him. Or you. O- Or Sirius or Remus or-"

"I know, love." James murmured, winding his arm around his husband to pull him closer, mindful of Harry who was innocently playing with his stuffed Hungarian Horntail that Kreacher had given Harry for his first birthday - a present repurposed from the box of things from when Regulus was a baby. "We could go into hiding, Frank and Alice are planning on it."

"We'd need a secret keeper." Regulus muttered fretfully, gently stroking the soft hair atop Harry's head. 

"There's no question, right?" James frowned, "Sirius would agree in a heartbeat."

"Sirius is too obvious." Regulus pointed out. "Everyone will expect him to be our secret keeper. It'd put him in unimaginable danger."

James' brows furrowed and he hummed to himself in thought. Remus would be a good choice but James wasn't sure how he'd cope with that sort of stress, his condition already took a huge physical toll on him as is. "What about Peter?"

His husband frowned up at him, "Peter?" His tone was borderline incredulous and he was certain that it was only due to little Harry that Regulus hadn't raised his voice. 

"Yeah. Nobody would suspect him. Peter's.. Peter." He said with a confused look on his face at the tone his husband had used.

"Darling..." Regulus trailed off and instantly James knew that Regulus was trying to find a way to word his next sentence in a way that wouldn't outright insult him. A part of him melted, there had once been a time where reading Regulus had been an impossible task. Now, his husband was like an open book to him. "Not to be rude, but that is quite literally the worst idea you've ever had." 

James blinked slowly, huffing at his husband and turning his head pointedly to pay attention to their son who was giggling to himself. "Rude." He muttered childishly.

Regulus stifled a laugh and leaned closer to press his face into James' neck. The small hint of hurt he'd felt dissipated as his beloved curled closer to him and Harry let out a noisy yawn, snuggling his tiny body into Regulus' chest. "Sorry, Jamie. It's just- Peter's not exactly the most... _reliable_ person out there."

There was something about the way Regulus had said those words that had the hair on James' neck prickling. "What do you mean?" He said before his brain caught up with him, remembering the whispers he'd heard all speaking of a _traitor_ in the Order, of someone who had double-crossed them and was feeding information to Voldemort. The same spy that had spilled the location of at least four of their friends from the Order in the past year and was responsible for the deaths of Mary, the Prewett twins _and_ Caradoc. There had even been a planned siege on a suspected Death Eater hideout where a group of the most vicious had been waiting for them and during the raid both Regulus and James had only just been able to escape Voldemort himself. James had endured nightmares for weeks after that and everyday he would wake up and cling to his husband desperately.

Somewhat numbly, James came to the realisation that _that_ particular fight must have been the third time they had defied Voldemort.

"You think Peter's the spy?" James breathed in shock.

His husband stayed silent, the ornate clock on the wall that Regulus' uncle Alphard had gifted them ticked by, second after second.

"Regulus!"

"Yes, alright? Yes, I do. At the very least, I don't trust him." Regulus admitted sharply.

"It's just the stress of the war, love." James said certainly, "He's not like that. Sure, Peter's always been a bit ferrety but he's a good lad. He's been one of my best friends since I started Hogwarts!"

His husband was silent for a moment before an unsure, almost guilty, expression overtook him. The centre of Regulus' cheek twitched as if he were chewing on the inside, a habit of his whenever he was nervous. James' eyebrows puckered as Regulus shifted his gaze away from him, refusing to meet James' eyes. Another habit of his when he was hiding something.

"What is it?" James probed. Often, being direct with Regulus was the only way to handle him when he was close to shutting down. James had learned over the years that although Regulus appreciated subtlety in public, he craved the sort of loud affection that James was brilliant at providing. At times like this, James knew it was best to be open and honest, something that came easy to James but Regulus sometimes had trouble with due to his upbringing. 

"I spoke with Narcissa." Regulus breathed.

James' eyes widened before his expression pinched with confusion, "How? _When?"_

Regulus bit his lip anxiously before sighing, "Earlier today."

"I thought you were meeting with Andromeda?" He countered, a note of hurt in his tone at the realisation that Regulus had lied to him.

"I did!" His husband hurried to reassure him, "I hadn't even planned to but she sent me a letter and- well, Andy was there and she saw the letter and she agreed with me that Cissa can be cruel, but she isn't heartless." 

"She's married to Malfoy! She's still chummy with that psycho Bellatrix!" James exclaimed, "How could you talk to her?"

"She's a mother, James." Regulus said forcefully, poking at Harry's tummy to make him giggle and kick his legs happily. "Narcissa understands what it's like to have a child that- that you would do _anything_ for. She heard about the prophecy and- and she's worried."

James' lips pursed, "That's rich coming from her. How many innocent little children has her sister murdered?"

"Her sister, my cousin." Regulus reminded him.

"But you haven't talked to the witch in years! Narcissa practically lives with her!"

"Cissa does what she must to _survive._ She's playing the same game I had planned to before I met you." He pointed out, silver eyes glowing in the dim moonlight. The intensity of his gaze had always captivated James and his husband had never steered him wrong in all the years they'd been together. "Obviously, she would never say it outright. But she alluded very heavily to the fact that the spy is someone close to home."

"As in..." James trailed off uncertainly, refusing to admit the truth unless he had to.

"One of the Marauders, yes." Regulus' eyes fluttered tiredly and James' eyes stung at the thought of one of his best friends - his _brothers_ \- being the one to betray them. Had they sought out the Death Eaters themselves or had they somehow forced them into joining? Did they realise how many good people were at risk because of this? Did they know about the prophecy and were ready to sell out James' family? Would they even _care?_

Of course, he wasn't happy that Regulus had spoken with a known Death Eater (or, at the very least, a Death Eater _sympathiser)_ and it was possible she had been lying to sow the seeds of discontent and doubt but a small, uncertain part of him pointed out that _perhaps_ Narcissa had been telling the truth. After all, he had heard enough about her from both of the Black brothers and by all appearances Narcissa was a prejudiced, ice-cold bitch but she had a heart that beat to the rhythm of _family._

Above all else, she was a mother. A decent one, based on what James had seen of her and the little white-haired boy she had been cradling in Diagon Alley a few weeks previously. If there was common ground between the two cousins, it would certainly be their shared love of their family and their mutual understanding that their children would always come first to either of them.

"It would never be Sirius." James whispered; conviction strong in his words as he had no reason to _ever_ doubt his best friend. Not only was Sirius his closest and most trusted friend, but he was Regulus' brother and he'd proven time and time again that he'd move mountains for his little brother. No, it would never be him.

"Remus is too loyal. To you, to me, to Sirius. Merlin, even to _Dumbledore._ He'd never betray us - our side." Regulus added, "And it's definitely not you."

"Could be." James pointed out, trying to lighten the mood slightly. "I hid the whole being-a-stag thing from you fairly well."

"You blabbed on our second date, Potter." He huffed, blowing his soft hair out of his eyes as he snuffled against his throat for a moment, pressing a gentle kiss to the sensitive skin there. "Besides, we share a bed. You couldn't hide such a thing from me even if you tried."

James conceded to that point. He'd never been good at keeping secrets, especially from those he loved and he loved Regulus more than anyone. James still struggled to keep any birthday gifts a secret and he was pretty sure Regulus only _pretended_ to be surprised whenever he opened them.

"So, that only leaves Peter." James murmured in realisation. "She's sure it's one of us?" He asked, voice thick with emotion.

Regulus pulled back to meet his eyes sadly, cupping James' cheek and wiping away a stray tear he hadn't realised had fallen. "She knows exactly who but she'd never outright tell me. If she says it's one of the Marauders.. and we've removed everyone else..."

"I can't- Why would he-" James' sniffled loudly, clearing his throat as he moved to sit up against the headboard. "He-"

"I know, love." Regulus moved to follow him; a now much sleepier Harry held against his chest. Gently, Regulus laid the little boy against James' torso and he happily accepted the weight of his son as his husband moved beside him. "We won't tip our hand. If we do go into hiding, we'll just have to use Sirius and hope for the best. Both of us are pretty certain he'd never tell a soul."

James laughed wetly, pressing his face against his son's soft head, smiling as the small boy cooed sleepily and snuffled against his chest. Merlin, James was lucky. His little family meant the world to him. A part of him simmered with repressed rage at the thought of Peter selling his family out to Voldemort. The idea of losing his husband and his son was unthinkable. James would tear his own heart out of his chest with his bare hands before he'd ever let his family get hurt.

When Dumbledore had first informed them of the prophecy, the two young parents had been gripped with fear. Harry had become their everything even before his birth and watching their precious little boy grow day by day was a gift unlike any other. James had always wondered how Regulus' parents could have been so neglectful and abusive and the confusion he felt at their horrific treatment of their sons was only furthered by becoming a father himself. James couldn't _ever_ imagine laying a hurtful hand on his son and he could admit that at times, he and Regulus spoiled Harry.

But truly, they couldn't help it. Regulus had been starved for any sort of affection as a child, only able to feel warmth when with his brother, leaving him with a plethora of issues that James had done his best to help him work through and cope with. As for James, his parents had been overjoyed at having a child and had coddled him as if he were the best baby in the world. The two of them together never failed to tell their little Harry how much they loved him and sometimes James worried he'd end up spoiling Harry to the point that the kid would become an arrogant tosser like James had been in his early years. However, it was a good thing he was paired with Regulus who would never allow such a thing. It had been Regulus' unimpressed scowls at his poor behaviour that had caused him to have a long, hard look at himself to finally see his flaws.

James had seen his own mind-numbing terror reflected in his husband's silver eyes, only they showed their fear differently. Regulus' eyes hardened and cooled into two icy glaciers. His husband's already pale skin instantly lost any hint of colour as he met his eyes fearfully, jaw wobbling as he'd tried to stay strong for the snoozing baby in his arms. On the other hand, James had immediately felt a fire in his veins. His instincts screamed at him to search out the threat to his family and end them before his two greatest loves in life could be taken from him.

"How could he do this?" James whispered. The spy had been the reason multiple members of the Order died, most notably the Prewett twins. When Caradoc had died, his risky position in the Ministry had been blamed, as had Mary's status as a muggleborn. However, the Prewetts were both capable Aurors and the attack on their safehouse had clearly been targeted. Only, their location was _supposed_ to be safe. Bar a a few Order members, nobody knew where the Prewetts lived. Unless a member of the Prewett family had decided to go rogue, it had become clear from that day that there was a spy in their midst.

Regulus leaned over, mindful of the delicate baby between them, to press a soft kiss to James' cheek. "I don't know, love."

"We need to speak to the others."

What followed was basically a lot of shouting and random accusations thrown between the other couple as - _apparently_ \- Remus had been worryingly secretive and Sirius was rather hurt by his boyfriend's lack of trust in him. James hadn't expected the two to start arguing and then sobbing in the middle of his living room while Regulus held onto a fussy Harry but James should know better than to expect things to be normal with his friends.

After a long cry, the two seemed to have made up. Regulus' waspish insults certainly seemed to have kicked them into gear and James could only hope that the two would be able to trust each other again. He couldn't imagine what he would have done if he were in Sirius' position and Regulus began hiding things from him and sneaking around.

Reluctantly, but clearly truthfully, Remus had admitted to what he had been doing for Dumbledore which had sent them _all_ into a tizzy. James was still adamant that Remus should have told them, Sirius had been extremely worried about the effects of being around the werewolf packs while Regulus had started ranting about how manipulative Dumbledore was.

James didn't exactly _disagree_ \- it was painfully clear that he had used Remus' fervent devotion to him to his advantage. But, as James pointed out to try and soothe his irate husband, Dumbledore was a much better option than Voldemort and sometimes sacrifices had to be made. Not at the cost of anyone's life or sanity, but still. Which brought them to the point where they carefully recounted what Dumbledore had told them about the prophecy and Regulus' revelation after meeting with his cousin.

"I'm going to murder that spineless little bastard." Sirius hissed, "Move!"

"No!" James replied forcefully from where he was stood in front of the doorway out of the living room with his hands held up placatingly. Over Sirius' shoulder, Remus was scowling down at Regulus who simply glared at him and pushed Harry into his arms to force him to calm down.

"I'll hex you!" Sirius threatened, raising his wand. "Let me-"

"Sirius Orion you had better put that wand away while my son is in the room." Regulus hissed as he stomped over and gestured towards Remus who had little Harry held tightly in his arms. "I will not repeat myself." He said sharply, glaring at his brother who ground his jaw.

"Your son is the one at risk here! If that little freak got his way Harry would be-" Sirius cut himself with a growl. 

Regulus held his brother's gaze admirably well and James felt that same swooping feeling in his gut whenever Regulus did pretty much anything. Godric, he was so lucky to be in love with such a force of nature. His husband kept him grounded and James wouldn't trade him for anything in the world. He knew that Regulus always came across as either shy and quiet or withdrawn and arrogant, depending on your perception of him. But they didn't know even a fraction of the snarky, fierce but unbelievably gentle and caring man he had come to adore.

"Fine!" Sirius yielded, as James knew he was. Nobody could survive against Regulus' glare for too long, especially not Sirius who had always been undeniably soft for his little brother. "What are we going to do about it?"

And, _well._

James had half expected things to go badly but all in all, it ended pretty well. Remus had been the one to suggest using Peter to lure Voldemort and the rest of his merry band of murderers to a public location in the hopes of putting a stop to Voldemort's tyranny once and for all. They'd chosen a fairly early time of day and had made sure to mention a trip to Diagon Alley while Peter was around the night before. Honestly, James had been surprised that the little rat had bought their poor attempts at acting friendly and hadn't questioned why Harry wasn't with them. Knowing that Sirius would have murdered Peter on the spot, James and Regulus had pointedly refused to allow Sirius to attend the dinner, and so Remus had simply explained away Sirius' absence by citing a dodgy takeaway.

At first, James had wanted Regulus to stay at home with Harry which Regulus had adamantly _refused_ to do. Even James' reasoning that he wanted Harry to at least have _one_ parent hadn't stopped him and so they'd had James' parents babysit behind reinforced wards in Potter Manor. If they didn't survive, his parents would leave the country to keep Harry safe, as per their request.

When the battle had begun, the few Death Eaters that had appeared to apprehend the Potters had clearly been taken by surprise and had immediately called for reinforcements. James had pointedly looked away when Sirius took off after Peter and when he saw Sirius reappear later, the satisfied look on his face had told James all he needed to know and he hadn't thought much more on the subject. Regulus and James worked together to quickly and efficiently topple Rodolphus Lestrange before separating to take on Thorfinn Rowle and Walden Macnair respectively. Out of the corner of his eye, he had searched for his friends and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw a dishevelled but alive Remus back-to-back with Sirius who, in a final slash of his wand, knocked Travers to his knees. He had just finished with Rowle when he saw Remus move to stun Alecto Carrow who had been sneaking up on Marlene in her fight against Yaxley. 

Their plan worked extremely well and James was pleasantly surprised that so many of the higher up Death Eaters had fallen so fast. Presumably, it was the fact that they'd - for once - managed to get the jump on them. In fairness, all of the Order members now knew who the spy was and although it hadn't been said outright, they were all aware that this was the final stand.

Predictably, there were a few snags, such as finding out that _Severus fucking Snape_ had been the one to tell Voldemort about the prophecy. The fucker had bragged about it to his face which had enraged James beyond reason. That poor excuse of a man would willingly let an innocent little boy die just because of a grudge he'd always held against James and it sent him into a fury. So much so, that during their duel he had blasted Snape through a wall and hadn't checked to see if he survived. As he'd moved to aid Frank Longbottom who seemed to be struggling, he saw Regulus and Sirius smoothly teaming up against Bellatrix at the same time that Remus went after Greyback with a hateful glare. 

Annoyingly, James had been dealing with Antonin Dolohov, Evan Rosier and Rabastan Lestrange with Frank when Voldemort had decided to go after his best friend _and_ his husband for managing to best his lieutenant. Of course, James _should_ have known that although Voldemort clearly had no real love for his followers, Bellatrix was easily the greatest of his soldiers and nobody came close to her level of frantic devotion. So, understandably, Voldemort was a little upset at her death.

Dumbledore had done well to keep Voldemort's attention but by that point the dark wizard had realised the vast majority of his followers were either dead, dying or being cuffed by Aurors. James had once heard the phrase 'there is nothing more dangerous than a desperate man who has nothing to lose' and in that moment, he understood exactly what was meant by those words.

Voldemort had almost murdered his husband right in front of his eyes and only Regulus' quick thinking and Sirius' bombastic spell casting had enabled them to back Voldemort into a corner. Dumbledore had helped to corral the man away from the general public and together they had managed to end Voldemort then and there.

Dumbledore had cautioned them that there was more to be done, that Voldemort was not gone for good and they would need to meet soon to plan but James didn't care. Regulus had already theorised that Voldemort must have undergone some sort of dark ritual to gain the serpentine appearance he had and he knew his husband would have many ideas and old tomes that would aide Dumbledore. For now, James wanted to go home and rest with his family. He said as much and, ignoring the few Ministry workers that had appeared to ask questions, apparated away with his startled spouse.

"James!" Regulus complained as they landed rather roughly in their living room, the smaller man falling onto the sofa which James grinned at as he draped himself over his husband who whined. "You're a menace." Regulus huffed as James pulled back to look at him.

James gazed down at his husband and felt a smile pull at his lips. There was a scrape on his forehead and a bruise on his cheek which matched the smattering of bruises he could see trailing down his jaw. Once soft and smooth locks were dishevelled and greying with ash and there was a layer of grime on his face from the lengthy battle. The sweat he'd shed had his shirt clinging to him and there was a lingering scent of soot and blood in the air.

To James, Regulus had never looked more beautiful.

With desperation in his veins, James gripped the side of his husband's slightly damp face and pulled him close enough to press their lips together. Regulus let out a noise of surprise before humming into the kiss, looping his arms around James' shoulders and letting his legs fall open. 

"What-" Regulus murmured as James pulled back to remove his ash covered shirt, "What about Harry?"

"Mum and Dad have him." James reminded his husband as he leaned in to capture his lips in a desperate kiss. They could have lost today. James could have died or worse - he could have survived and lost all of those close to him. In an effort to banish the thought, he worked his way to Regulus' jaw and nipped at the soft skin there, mindful of the small bruises Regulus must have gotten after a nasty fall.

Regulus whined and let his head fall back, "Jamie- James, love. I'm not going anywhere." He affirmed, letting his hand come up to tangle in James' hair. "Voldemort's gone."

"I know." James whispered, sniffling. "But I almost lost you."

 _"But,_ I'm here." Regulus cupped his face, pulling him closer so that they could look into each other's eyes. To try and reassure him, Regulus rubbed the tips of their noses together which had James' giggling despite himself. "I'm not going anywhere." He promised.

James rubbed his thumb along Regulus' eyebrow, wiping at the dried blood. "I love you. So, so much." 

"I love you." Regulus said in the same simple tone that always had James' heart racing. In their haste, they hadn't turned on the light. Despite this, Regulus' eyes shone beautifully up at him with a gentle devotion that sent heat curling through James' abdomen. He took a moment to take in the small creases around his husband's eyes before he re-joined their lips to pull Regulus ever closer. "We don't have much time." Regulus pointed out. "Better get to work, Potter." His love said cheekily.

James winked at him after he pressed a gentle kiss to the centre of Regulus' pale throat. "With pleasure, _Potter."_ He grinned lecherously. Ever since Regulus had changed his name, James had never missed an opportunity to point out that Regulus was now, and always would be, a Potter.

Exasperatedly, Regulus rolled his eyes before a strangled gasp had him throwing his head back with a soft moan as James made it his mission to pleasure his husband as best as possible. 

To say his parents were not amused when they turned up at the manor an hour later, even more dishevelled and sweaty than they had been, was an understatement. As they hurried through into the living room, they were treated to the sight of Sirius anxiously pacing in front of the fireplace while Remus restlessly bounced Harry on his knee. James' father was frowning down at the ground in silence while his mother scowled at the fireplace. Ah, James had forgotten to unblock the Floo. Oops.

Euphemia finally huffed after the occupants of the room all took a moment to stare at them, "Of course." She grumbled, "Now, I expect this of you, James, but I thought better of you!" She said to Regulus. 

Fleamont snickered, reaching over to unfold the newspaper and happily going back to his crossword. "Honestly, you two couldn't wait an extra five minutes, at least to assure us you were well." He said reproachfully but James knew he had held the paper up over his face to hide his amusement.

Regulus flushed as he took Harry from Remus, reassuringly pressing his lips to the grumpy baby's cheek who gurgled in response. 

"You're still hurt!" Sirius fretted as he eyed Regulus' forehead, "For fu- _Merlin's_ sake, Prongs!" He corrected himself quickly as Regulus' eyes flashed.

"Even we held off on that until after Euphemia had healed us." Remus muttered into his goblet as Euphemia pressed the tip of her wand against the cut on Regulus' forehead, ignoring as he winced. 

"Ah, that's what you were doing in the bathroom all that time." Fleamont nodded sagely. "I had suspected as much." Remus' ears went red and Sirius cleared his throat embarrassedly.

"Oh, why do I bother?" Euphemia blustered as she finished with Regulus and dragged James over to a chair to force him into it, bringing her wand forward to examine him. "Such ridiculous _boys_ \- I should simply expect it of you by now."

As if understanding her words, Harry chose that moment to giggle particularly adorably as Regulus held him slightly above his face to press kisses all over his cheeks. 

"He's the only hope left." Euphemia grumbled. "Let's hope we finally have another Ravenclaw in the family."

"No!" James cried, "My Harry is going to be wearing red and gold just like every Potter before him!"

Regulus settled Harry on his hip and turned to him with a raised eyebrow, "Oh? He's every bit as Black as he is Potter, you know. He could easily be a Slytherin."

"Or a Hufflepuff." Remus pointed out with a teasing grin.

"No way. That little brat is going to be terrorising Minnie just as we did." Sirius said self-assuredly as he slumped into one of the plush armchairs.

"Terrorising Minerva is an admirable goal," Fleamont began, "But I should point out that one does not need to be a Gryffindor to do such a thing."

"Which doesn't matter 'cause Harry's going to be a lion. Just look at his parents!" James said with a grand gesture towards their dishevelled forms. "Fresh from a battle where we just got rid of a dark lord!"

Regulus laughed, "Yes, exactly. A battle in which we _both_ fought and yet _I_ am no Gryffindor."

"Oh, please." Sirius waved a hand, "You're as Gryffindor as I am."

As James expected, a small tinge of red appeared on Regulus' cheeks at the compliment from his brother. There had been a long time where the two had barely been able to talk and even still, Regulus was always receptive of Sirius' approval. It seemed to be one of those sibling things that James didn't understand but he always enjoyed witnessing.

Adoringly, James grinned over at his husband, fondness overtaking him as he watched Regulus focus on Harry who was making a wild grab for Regulus' ruffled hair. "Stop it, you little monster." Regulus said faux-sternly.

Once his mother finished with the bruises along his shoulder from an exploding pillar (she'd tutted when he said he forgot all about the injury and James had flushed when his mother made a pointed remark about there being no blood in his brain due to him being preoccupied by _other activities)_ he moved closer to embrace his family, snuggling closer to his husband and taking Harry from his arms.

"It doesn't really matter anyway. I'll love you no matter where you go, H." James said seriously as he looking into Harry's bright eyes. The tot giggled up at him and reached forward to slightly pull at James' cheeks. "Although, we both know you're going to be a Gryffindor." He added with a wink towards his husband who rolled his eyes.

"Yeah!" Sirius called from the armchair, "Besides, his house doesn't matter. What _really_ matters is what position he plays." He pointed out with both eyebrows high on his forehead.

"Easy, he'll be a seeker just like his dad." Regulus shrugged. 

"Oi! He's going to be a chaser." James countered.

Sirius threw his head back and laughed as they glared at each other, "Nope, he's going to take after his favourite uncle and be the second-best beater Hogwarts has ever seen! After yours truly, of course." In retaliation for that last bit, James threw a pillow at Sirius' face.

"If he does become a beater - which he won't be - he'd be a far cry better than you!" James exclaimed.

"A keeper is just as good of a position." Euphemia pointed out in reference to her time as the star keeper of Ravenclaw as she sat next to her husband. Fleamont nodded but wisely didn't say anything as he had been a beater in his time at school.

"What if he doesn't play?" Remus said incredulously. "Not everyone likes Quidditch _that_ much." Which was true and James knew that his friend liked Quidditch enough to be a wicked commentator but never much liked the idea of playing himself. Even for fun on days far from the full moon, Remus had always complained and whined about being up in the air - something about the heights stressed him out so they tended to let Remus sit out and be their spectator. Or forced him to be a corrupt referee by bribing him with a variety of different incentives.

The five avid Quidditch lovers blinked at him before scoffing and turning back to their argument. 

Years later, when Harry would write to his parents and excitedly inform them of his first flying lesson which led to him becoming the youngest seeker in a century for his house, Regulus would loudly cheer and collect his winnings from the rest of the family for winning their bet.

"You corrupted him!" James would whine. "Soon as he was old enough to hold a quaffle, you'd shove a snitch in his hands instead!"

"Harry's the one that always liked the golden snitch. I had nothing to do with it." Regulus would sniff in return. "He was a baby. Babies like shiny things that fly around. Quaffles are ugly and boring."

"You liar!" James would cry. "I caught you on his second birthday hiding the quaffle I bought him!"

The resulting laughter from Regulus would have James pouting as his husband laughed himself to the point of tears right in front of him with Hedwig staring at James judgementally from her perch on the windowsill. 

**Author's Note:**

> Before anyone asks, Harry's biological parents are James and Regulus. That leaves the question of who exactly carried Harry and I'll leave that up to interpretation. It's not really important and if you aren't a fan of mpreg I'm sure you can imagine a surrogate carrying the baby and Regulus blood adopting Harry afterwards. After all, anything is possible really in the realm of fanfiction - even more so with Harry Potter fanfiction. Magic is a wonderful thing!
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed this! I really enjoyed writing this as my previous two Jegulus fics have mainly focused on the build up to their relationship whereas this one was more about them already being together and their path from Hogwarts through to the war and a hint of beyond.
> 
> I was very tempted to go more in depth and write the whole Horcrux thing and how baby Harry would fit into that - or perhaps leaving it and writing about the canon series progressing with this as the prequel, of course, that would result in huge changes but I'm not sure how I'd go about that. Maybe in a separate fic or as an alternate side story that would summarise each year in a few paragraphs.
> 
> Oh well, I hope you enjoyed! The ending is a bit rushed but.. well! There is a serious lack of happy Regulus fics and even more so, a lack of positive Jegulus fics. Why does everyone want to see Regulus suffer? Let him be happy!! It's all I want for him :( Sigh.


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